Good morning, it’s Akash Arora here with SBS News’ Morning Briefing.
Nancy Pelosi arrives in Taiwan, defying China's warnings
Nancy Pelosi has arrived in Taiwan, days after China's foreign ministry threatened of "serious consequences" if the US House of Representatives Speaker made a trip to the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. Ms Pelosi landed at Songshan Airport in Taipei, where she was received by Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu. "Our congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honours America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," Ms Pelosi said in a statement shortly after landing. "We cannot stand by as the CCP proceeds to threaten Taiwan — and democracy itself," she said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.
David Pocock vows to champion accessibility, inclusion in maiden speech
Independent ACT senator David Pocock has used his first speech used his maiden speech in parliament to outline his passion for "accessibility and inclusion". In the lead-up to the speech the former Wallabies player asked if he could have an Auslan interpreter alongside him on the floor of the Senate — a request that was denied by both major parties. Mr Pocock said the decision was "disappointing". The government allowed Auslan translator Amanda Dolejsi to translate from the Parliament House broadcast studio and appear on large screens in the chamber and on-screen in the live broadcast. "I understand the difference between Mandy being there in the broadcasting studio and here on the floor of the chamber, is the difference between accessibility and inclusion," Mr Pocock said. "Today we have achieved the former but not the latter. In future, I hope we can achieve both."
Hundreds protest shock closure of Sydney's Redfern centre
Hundreds of community members gathered outside the National Indigenous Centre of Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney's Redfern on Tuesday after it was announced the iconic First Nations cultural centre would shut down. A number of speakers expressed their views on the announcement. Yuseph Deen — CEO of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council — attended the protest and explained their decisions to the crowd. "[The centre] has been debt funded to the value, more recently, of 2 million a year," he said. The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, has "strongly encouraged" two Aboriginal organisations to work out a solution following a breakdown of discussions which resulted in the closure of a much-loved Sydney community social enterprise.
Why mask wearing still matters
People are not required to wear face masks in Australia by law but international research shows how effective wearing a mask can be in stopping you from getting COVID-19. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said we are in "a COVID soup right now", with a lot of transmission around. "There is one view among public health experts in Australia, among all chief health officers, the chief medical officer federally, the CDC [US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], the WHO [World Health Organisation], the European CDC, the public health association in Canada," he said. "They're all saying the same thing about masks — [masks] will put a downward pressure on transmission."
In other news
- The government's proposed climate change bill will be debated in the lower house on Wednesday, and the Greens will reveal their stance on the crucial vote.
- Opposition leader Peter Dutton says many Australians don’t understand Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal.
- In the Republican stronghold of Alabama, the reality of a post-Roe v Wade America has taken hold.
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